


Fresh Start

by Constance722



Category: One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless
Genre: Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 11:10:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7168631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Constance722/pseuds/Constance722





	1. Episode 1

Starting over was never easy, but a new town—a new start was exactly what she needed. After things  
ended with Joey for the three hundredth time, she knew she needed to get away, from him…from Llanview, from all of it. She didn’t choose Genoa City—it chose her. Sheer exhaustion had caused her to pull over in the small coffee shop parking lot and, although she’d intended to come in, grab a cup to go, and get back on the road; something about the place caught her eye. It might have been the jukebox in the corner. It might have been the tables scattered about the room. It might have even been the bar with stools littered with college kids, but something about this place reminded her of Rodis. It reminded her of when she was young and happy and carefree…when things weren’t so complicated.

As her eyes scanned the patrons, she stalled on the image of a young man seated alone at a table in the corner. It was his eyes mainly—they seemed to silently scream beneath the heavy lids. She walked over to the counter and took a seat. Pulling her bag up beside her, she bumped the elbow of a fellow diner.

“Sorry,” Kelly softly responded, handing her a small stack of napkins to wipe up the coffee that had sloshed from the cup.

“It’s ok,” Chloe remarked, irritated, but trying to remain civil. At least it hadn’t been the dress. It could have been the dress.

“Nice dress, Donna Karan?” Kelly smiled as she took a sip from her cup. It was good to know she hadn’t landed in the middle of Podunk USA.

Chloe’s eyes snapped to attention.

“Yes,” she responded, her eyes slightly betraying her surprise.

Kelly glanced down at her appearance for a moment and sighed.

“It’s been a long drive,” she explained. “I actually do have some fashion sense. I’ve just been traveling…you know..trying to find some place to land.” She smiled back at the stranger before extended her hand, “Kelly Cramer.”

“Chloe Mitchell,” Chloe responded, shaking hands with a smile. “You said you’re looking for somewhere to land…running to something or away from something?”

“Just looking for a new start…new people..new faces.” Her mind drifted back to the mysterious man in the corner. She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure he was still there. He was.

“Speaking of new faces,” Kelly whispered, leaning in a little closer. “Do you know anything about the guy sitting over in the corner table?”

Chloe turned slightly seeing Ronan sitting there. “Him?” She shook her head. “Trust me…he’s trouble.” She glanced at her watch.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. It was nice meeting you. Maybe if you stick around we can grab lunch or something sometime.” Chloe grabbed her cup and purse and moved towards the door.

“I’d like that, “Kelly smiled as she watched Chloe head out the door. Slowly she slid off the bar stool. “Trouble huh,” she muttered under her breath. “Maybe a little trouble is exactly what I need.”

~  
“Excuse me,” Kelly stood at the edge of the table, waiting for the mystery man to acknowledge her presence.

Ronan slowly looked up allowing his eyes to roam over her. “Yeah,” he said his voice gruff and seemingly unfriendly.

“Uh, I just thought maybe…since you were alone…and I was alone…that I’d see if you wanted some company.” She smiled at him, in an attempt to break the tense mood.

He let out a quick puff of air. “You think I want company?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Well, I don’t know,” she smiled. “That’s what I came over here to find out.”

He didn’t really want to talk, but it was something about her smile that made her impossible to turn down. 

“Suit yourself,” he said, bumping the chair from under the table with his leg.

Kelly nodded, taking a seat across the table from him. She’d certainly had friendlier invitations, but there was something about him….something almost haunted.

“I’m Kelly,” she said smiling at him. Her green eyes sparkled in the light.

Sighing, he muttered, “Ronan”. The smile he received in return for his answer almost made it worthwhile and the feel of her hand in his as she awkwardly reached in for a handshake sent a chill down his spine that he hadn’t felt in ages.

“So, Ronan…What’s a guy like you doing sitting alone in a place like this?” Kelly had noticed him immediately and she found it hard to believe that every other woman in this town hadn’t as well. There had to be a reason.

“Maybe I like my solitude.” He didn’t really…he just didn’t really know how to be any other way. When he was with people, they got hurt and he was tired of the people he loved being hurt. The only way to protect them was to stay away from them…so that’s what he was going to do. 

Kelly nodded. She recognized it all. The downcast eyes, the somber tone, the angry responses….sure signs of a life that was falling apart. 

“Hey,” she said softly, “I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel like everything in your world is falling to pieces.”

“You don’t have a clue,” Ronan snapped, standing up abruptly from the table. “You hear me?! You don’t have any idea. You don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me! You think you’re just gonna walk over here and start to analyze me or something. What is this? Did my mother send you here? Is that it?”

Kelly sat stunned for a moment. She slowly grabbed her purse and stood.

“Look. I’m sorry I disturbed you. It was a mistake. I’m gonna go.” She turned without another word and walked out the door.

Ronan stood for a moment trying to regain his composure. How was it possible that he felt so lost without her when she’d been in his life for less than five minutes, yet it was as if she’d taken all the air in the room with her when she left? Without thinking he headed out the door after her.

“Kelly….wait,” he called out…happy to see she hadn’t left the parking lot yet.

Kelly turned around. “Look, I get it,” she said, holding up her hands to placate him. “I don’t need a repeat of the verbal lashing you gave me in there. You don’t need my help. You don’t want my sympathy. I don’t know you. I don’t know anything about you. Does that about cover it?”

Ronan shook his head, looking down at the ground. “I’m sorry about that. I just kind of lost it. I don’t know why. It’ s just that my life is….well, lately my life has been…my life…it just…it…it sucks.” He smiled as he finally realized that was the most appropriate description he’d come up with lately.

Kelly returned the smile. “Mine too.”

“At least we’re in good company,” Ronan replied, leaning against her car, suddenly drawn to this individual in front of him.

“Listen,” Kelly began, a little hesitantly at first, “You may think this is crazy…and if you do, just tell me…it’s ok….but I think maybe we could help each other out…you know just talk and laugh a little.” She stared into Ronan’s eyes, checking for any sort of reaction. At least he wasn’t screaming no yet, she reasoned within her mind.

“Maybe we could go out to dinner or something….” She felt her stomach flip over a little as she said the words. Was she nervous? What was she 15? Nervous about asking a boy on a date?

Ronan tried to keep his lips from curving. “Like a date?” he said softly, admittedly torturing her just a bit.  
“It doesn’t have to be like a date,” she said quickly…”It can just be like friends…you know friends going out to talk and hang out.”

He reached out to her then, touching her shoulder softly. “Actually,” he said, his voice taking on a new tone, this one much more soft and gentle, “I think a date would be nice.”

Breathe, she reminded herself, forcing a breath into her lungs. The feel of his warm hand on her skin was almost unbearable and she couldn’t understand how someone that hadn’t even been in her life an hour ago could suddenly be so important.

“Ok,” she managed. “It’s a date.”

Ronan smiled at her, removing his hand, and reaching into his pocket. “Here’s my card. Just call me and let me know when and where and what time I need to pick you up.”

“Oh, you don’t have to pick me up,” she said quickly. “I can meet you somewhere.”

“What kind of a guy do you think I am?” he said with a sly smile as he walked away.

Kelly leaned back against the car as she watched him go. She had no idea what kind of guy he was, but she had a funny feeling she was going to enjoy finding out.


	2. Episode 2

“Thank you,” she said with a nod and a smile as she tipped the bellhop and watched him head into the elevator with her bags. 

Kelly smiled as she took a seat at the bar of the Genoa City Athletic Club. Surveying her surroundings, she couldn’t help but notice the striking similarities it shared with the Palace Hotel back home. Of course, the décor was different, but the feel of it, the clientele…it all seemed strangely familiar. 

“Can I get you something?” the bartender asked, standing in front of her with a friendly smile.

“Oh,” Kelly looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I’m just waiting for my room.” She reached into her purse…grabbing some cash and grasping at the business card that fell to the bar in front of her. 

“Just a club soda, please,” she smiled as she passed some cash to the bartender. 

As he turned away to prepare her drink, she turned the card over in her hand. Was it too early to call him? Did it seem too desperate? Would he know that she had been unable to get him off her mind since the moment he’d walked away?

She pulled out her cell phone and sat it in front of her. Slowly she began to dial the numbers. After all, what did she have to lose?  
~  
Ronan Malloy closed the door behind him immediately moving towards the refrigerator to find a cold beer. Sinking into the chair by the window, he took a drink, leaning his head back against the soft cushion. What was he thinking…agreeing to a date with a perfect stranger? This was the last thing he needed. He knew better—no attachments—no relationships. That was his new rule—his new motto. He couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone….not with his new situation…not with everything that had happened. 

The operation was supposed to be the answer. A partial liver transplant was supposed to solve all of his problems—it was supposed to fix it—it was supposed to fix everything, but it didn’t. It didn’t fix anything at all. He walked over to the counter, opening up the cabinets and starting at the lines of pills that started at him. Angrily he opened the bottles, pouring one bill after the other into his hand. He was sick of being dependent…dependent on pills to live…dependent on doctors to tell him what to do and when he could do it. He smiled as he took another long chug of beer. The last doctor he’d been to had reamed him about his drinking. ‘You’re killing yourself,’ he’d said….but what they didn’t know was that he already felt dead inside….the beer was just moving things along. 

His mind flashed back to earlier that day. He wasn’t even sure how or why it happened….it just did. It was something about her…something about the way she looked at him…as if she understood. But she couldn’t, he realized, slamming the bottle down on the counter. There’s no way anyone could understand what it felt like to have no one…

The familiar sound of his cell phone ringing forced his analysis of the day’s events to come to an early end. Reaching into his pocket, he glanced at the screen. It was a number he didn’t recognize…but in his line of work, he didn’t have the luxury of screening his calls.

“Yeah,” he gruffly answered, holding the phone to his ear. He wasn’t in the mood to talk tonight.  
~  
Kelly felt the tension return to her shoulders. Maybe she shouldn’t have called this soon after all.  
“Ronan,” she said hesitantly. She glanced back at the card, mentally going back through the numbers she’d dialed. She was positive they were correct.

“It’s Kelly,” she chirped, trying desperately to lighten the tone of what was quickly becoming an uncomfortable conversation.  
~  
He closed his eyes. Kelly. This was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn’t need this tonight. He wanted to sit there and drink and feel sorry for himself and…

“Yeah, Kelly,” he said, forcing himself to sound civil. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you…”  
~  
She cringed. It was too soon. Silently cursing herself, she picked at the edges of the napkin sitting underneath her glass.

“So soon,” she sighed. “I know…I know…it’s soon. I’m really not desperate. Well, I mean…I’m not always this desperate.” She paused for a moment taking a breath. “Ok, so I guess I’m pretty desperate. I could use someone to talk to. I just got to town and I don’t know anyone except you and I know that sounds pathetic and stupid and…”

~

He stood there in complete disbelief both by the fact that she was capable of uttering so many words in such little time and by the fact that he was actually smiling. 

He shook his head, “Kelly,” he said cautiously, unsure if she’d even allow him to speak.

~  
Kelly put her hand to her forehead. Everything in her was screaming ‘Shut up’ yet she kept talking.

“Yeah,” she meekly whispered, afraid he was now making plans to have her involuntarily committed.  
~  
“You uh…You sound like you could use someone to talk to.” Ronan sat down on the edge of the bed. He actually felt lighter. From the moment he’d heard her voice on the phone, his anger began to dissipate. Maybe she wasn’t such a bad thing for him after all. 

“Where are you staying?” he asked.   
~  
Kelly felt her heart beat faster.

“The uh…The Athletic Club,” she said, swallowing hard. “But look, you don’t have to do this because you feel sorry for me. I don’t want you to do this because you feel sorry for me….like when your Mom tells you that you have to play with that kid that smells bad because no one else will…”

~  
Ronan couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped his lips. “You…You don’t smell bad,” he said with a smile. “I’ll pick you up at 7.”

He hung up the phone without giving her a chance to respond.   
~  
“Ronan,” Kelly said into the phone, realizing that he was gone. She glanced down at her watch. 5:30. She had an hour and a half to get to her room, take a shower, get dressed, and…. She nearly threw herself off the bar stool and she hurried off to the counter to retrieve her key. This was one date that she definitely did not want to be late for. 

“Was it worse to be overdressed or underdressed?” she wondered as she padded around the room in the plush robe. Nervously, she ran her fingers through her wet hair.

“Way too much,” she said, tossing the royal blue strapless dress back onto the bed. Picking up a pair of jeans, she sighed. What if this wasn’t enough? She didn’t want him to think she wasn’t putting forth any effort. Her eyes fell on the emerald green halter dress.

“This could work,” she whispered, as she hurried off to the bathroom to change.

~

Sniffing the shirt, he began to unbutton his own and change. Laundry wasn’t exactly at the top of his to do list lately and he wasn’t sure which of the stacks on the other side of the bed designated clean and dirty. What he did know was that they felt like a presence was there…like he wasn’t as completely and totally alone as he truly was. 

He sighed as he heard a knock at the door. 

“What now?” he mumbled. “Mom,” he breathed seeing her face as he opened the door.

“Hi,” Nina said softly, taking note of his slight annoyance at her presence. “Sorry to just drop by like this…Is it a bad time?

Ronan nodded. “Actually. Yeah. It is. It’s a bad time.”

Her brows furrowed. “Sweetheart, you promised you’d take some time off…just a couple of weeks…just until we were sure the doctors had everything back under control.”

He shook his head. “It’s not work, Mom. It’s not. I’m actually….I’m meeting someone. I have a…” He thought for a minute…bad move to give her any information she could use later to force him to stay in town. “I’ve got an appointment.”

“Oh,” she smiled slightly. “With who?” 

“Mom,” he said, his voice raised a bit.

“Right..Right.” She lowered her head. “I’m sorry. I know I said I wouldn’t interfere. I wouldn’t ask lots of questions. I’d try to stay out of the way and let you make your own decisions and live your own life. I just…I worry about you…that’s all.”

“You don’t need to worry about. I’ll be fine.” Ronan glanced down at his watch.

“I’ve really got to be going, Mom. I’m gonna be late.”

Nina nodded. “Right..Well, come by the house sometime. I’d love to see you.”

“Yeah…Yeah…I will,” he said, stepping out of the doorway and closing it behind him. He walked away without looking back.   
~  
She carefully made her way down the stairway, oblivious to the people around her. She scanned the room for his face…the face that had been in her mind since the moment she’d seen him earlier that day. She didn’t know why—it didn’t make sense. Sure, he was easy on the eyes, but she wasn’t that shallow. Was she? 

Taking a seat in a small chair by the doorway, she sighed. This wasn’t what she’d intended to do. She hadn’t come to a new place looking for a new guy, but somehow this guy seemed different…this guy seemed special and suddenly this guy—the one she’d been thinking about all day was standing right in front of her. 

~  
“Hi,” she managed, her breath catching in her throat as she silently cursed herself for being so silly. She was a grown woman, not some love struck teenager. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

“No..No..You didn’t,” he answered quickly. He didn’t tell her he’d been there for nearly twenty minutes. He also didn’t tell her he’d been watching her through the glass door for nearly ten. There was a fine line between romantic and creepy and he wasn’t sure what side of the line that kind of behavior fell on. He couldn’t recall ever feeling this way about another woman—ever being so totally enchanted that he could stop and stare. Maybe it was his line of work, he reasoned, trying desperately to explain away this strange attraction. Maybe it was only natural that he, being an agent, was predisposed to analyzing things and people. 

“Ronan…Is this ok?” she said, tilting her head a little to try and make eye contact. She wasn’t fishing for compliments—honestly, but she wanted to make sure she wasn’t completely out of line with her wardrobe. He was wearing a button down shirt and jeans and while her dress was far from formal, it certainly wasn’t made out of denim either. 

“Sorry,” he said, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. “It’s been a long day. I’m a little out of it.”

“It’s ok.” She stood for a moment waiting for him to respond. “You know, we can do this another time. It’s no big deal.”

“No,” he replied quickly. “I didn’t mean that. I want to go out. I just…I’m not really good at this. I don’t do this a lot.” He hesitated, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Date I mean.”

Kelly smiled. “Sure. I’m sure a guy like you has plenty of weekends free.”

And there it was—the smile. That had been the hook…it was as if the entire room lit up right along with her eyes and suddenly nothing in his life seemed so bad anymore. 

“Come on,” he said, gently touching her arm. “Let’s go.”

He glanced over at her, the streetlights casting just enough light on her face to give him a glimpse of the sparkle in her eyes. Earlier in the evening, he’d considered his options. For a brief moment, he’d considered pulling the suit coat out of the back of the closet and taking her somewhere nice…maybe even the Athletic Club or the Colonnade Room, but the truth was—that wasn’t him…it wasn’t even close to being him and there was no point in faking it. For whatever reason—he didn’t even feel like he needed to try—not with her.

The smile that inched across his face as he pulled the car into a spot outside of Jimmy’s wasn’t missed.

“What are you smiling at?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said, still unable to straighten his expression. “It’s just that…this place…it’s probably not exactly what you were envisioning.”

Kelly stepped out of the car, kicking a pebble of gravel out of the open toe of her shoe. She glanced up at the neon sign that blinked intermittently above her head.

“It’s…It’s a surprise.” She looked over at him and smiled. “But I like surprises.”

“Good.” He held out his hand, noticing her inability to navigate the gravel in her heels. “Let me help you out here.”

As she let him lead her into the door, she felt oddly comfortable with this virtual stranger. There was something about him that made her feel at ease. She wasn’t planning the next conversation starter or worrying about what she would say if he asked her about her past relationships. She wasn’t thinking about ways to make her life sound better or less complicated. She simply had to be present in the moment. Maybe this was the beginning of a fresh start for her after all. 

She scanned the simple menu, as she tried desperately not to be distracted by the momentary brushing of his knees against hers. He hadn’t said a word since they’d sat down. Either he really didn’t do this a lot or he was very intense about his food choices—she wasn’t sure which.

“If you’re looking for the duck, they ran out…apparently it was a very popular special.” He glanced up at her with a sly smile, grateful when she laughed and smiled back at him. 

“No, not at all,” she said, sighing in relief. “This place is great. In fact it reminds me a lot of some places back home.”

“Really?” It suddenly hit him just how little he knew about the beautiful but still quite mysterious woman sitting in front of him. “Where’s home?”

“Llanview, Pennsylvania…at least that’s where I’ve lived for the last fifteen years or so. I actually grew up in Paris.” She watched him for a reaction.

“As in France?” The last thing he needed was some Parisian debutante with lofty standards.

“Yeah,” she said with a smile, “but Llanview is really where I consider home. “ Looking back down at the menu, she took a breath. She mentally chided herself for allowing herself to go there again. This was a fresh start—she needed this. She had to move on…away from Joey, away from Llanview, away from all of it. 

The sparkle, the same one that had drawn him to her when they’d met, seemed to disappear from her eyes in an instant. It was almost as if a dark cloud had settled over the table the moment she’d mentioned Llanview and her past. He knew all about memories and how they can pull you down.

“So, what’s it going to be?” he asked her, attempting to change the subject.

“What?” Looking up, she tried to pick up the conversation again. Ronan was handsome and charming and fascinating. She’d been drawn to him from the second she’d laid eyes on him. This was a chance for her to have a little fun—she deserved it, she reminded herself. After everything that had happened…after everything she’d lost…she deserved a chance to put her life back together. 

“To eat? What are you going to eat?” Whatever she’d been thinking of had really thrown her, he realized.

“A burger and fries,” she smiled, sitting the menu down on the table, “As if there was ever really any doubt.”

And just like that it was back, the sparkle, the laugh, the eyes that could light up a room. He was amazed at how quickly she could change—how she could go from haunted to happy in seconds, but he was also more convinced than ever that this woman had a story—a story he desperately wanted to know. 

“What can I get you?” the waitress asked, approaching the table with pen and paper in hand.  
Kelly glanced over at Ronan, raising her eyebrows. 

“Uh, I’ll have a burger—medium rare and uh…fries.” He glanced up at the waitress briefly as he she scribbled down the order.

She smiled at him, Kelly noticed. Admittedly, she was curious…why was a man that looked like he did still single? And why was he sitting in a bar on a Friday night with a virtual stranger? Her thoughts were interrupted by the waitress’ question.

“And for you?” she asked, looking over at Kelly, her expression considerably less friendly.

“Oh, uh…the same,” she responded quickly, glancing back up at Ronan.

“Anything to drink?” 

“Sure,” Kelly said, “I’ll have a beer…whatever’s on tap…”

Ronan looked up at her. He knew better, but since when had he listened to anyone about anything. “Same here,” he responded, smiling at Kelly.

The waitress nodded and walked away.

“The burgers here are pretty impressive,” he grinned. “Maybe you should have stuck with a side salad.”

She gasped in mock offense. “I’ll have you know I can hold my own against any burger.”

“Oh, really,” he smiled. “You’re on.”  
~  
“Ok…Ok….” She laughed, holding up the napkin and waving it slightly. “I surrender. You win. You win.”

“Thank God,” he exhaled, leaning back in his chair. “I didn’t know how many more fries I could stuff in my mouth. I’ve got to give you credit…you gave it hell. Definite points for efforts.” 

“Awww, thanks,” she said, smiling at him. It was amazing, she realized as she glanced quickly at her watch. They’d been sitting at this table for nearly two hours and yet she’d never once felt awkward or bored or anything other than completely and totally excited by the man in front of her….a man she knew virtually nothing about.

“So,” she started hesitantly, “Who are you exactly?” 

“What?” Ronan took a swallow of beer, hoping like hell he’d misunderstood the question. Why was she asking him now? Everything was going so well. It was a strangers in the night type connection and it was great—why screw it up?

Kelly felt her palms begin to sweat a little. “It’s just that…well, we’ve been having such a great time tonight…but…I mean…I don’t know anything about you. I…I don’t even know what you do,” she said quietly, looking up at him, her eyes almost apologetic. 

“I don’t even know your last name,” he said, smiling slyly in an attempt to break the tension that had suddenly settled over the table. 

She couldn’t help but smile. He had that effect on her. “It’s Cramer,” she said, laughing a little. “Kelly Cramer. I was born in Paris, lived there til I was 16. After I got expelled from parochial school, I was sent to live with my aunt in Llanview, Pennsylvania. I’ve been married twice—to brothers. Divorced twice. I have one son, named Zane. He’s 13 now. He lives in London with my ex-husband, Kevin, who also happens to be his grandfather. And, oh yeah, my mother spent most of her life in an asylum. She died a couple of years ago and I have no idea who my father is.” 

She looked up at Ronan, who sat there wide eyed and staring at her. 

She knew she’d taken a risk in spilling everything so suddenly, but she was tired of keeping secrets and a fresh start was supposed to be a fresh start, so getting everything out in the open simply seemed the right thing to do. She glanced back at Ronan, who still hadn’t uttered a word and smiled, “So, now you know everything there is to know about me…your turn.”

He shook his head…. “Wait,” he muttered, still trying to process all the information. “Do I get to ask questions first?”

“Nope,” Kelly smiled, taking a long swallow of beer. “Not until you spill your guts. The question and answer session comes later. Go ahead, Mr. Malloy. You have a captive audience.” 

Moments passed as the silence settled on the table. Kelly shifted uncomfortably in her seat. This was the longest stretch of silence that had passed on all evening. That, she realized, had been one of the most amazing parts about the night. There was an ease between them. Even though they knew nothing about each other, she felt as if she could talk to him, be herself with him, be totally honest with him—and she had been…totally honest. Maybe a little too honest.

“You know,” she said softly, grabbing her purse from the seat beside her, “It’s getting kind of late. Maybe I should just go.” 

“No,” he said, reaching across the table and grabbing her hand. His eyes met hers for a moment. 

“Sorry,” he said softly, “It’s just that…your life..your past…it’s easy for you to tell your story.” He looked down at the table. Where did he even begin? Leaving the force? Working for the FBI? Nearly getting killed trying to bring down a drug ring? Almost dying? Getting a liver transplant that was supposed to save his life only….He shook his head. There was no good place to start. His life was a disaster. 

“I just…I don’t even know where to start. My past is….complicated. My whole life is actually a….” He stopped then, shocked to see her shoulders shaking with laughter. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, holding up her hand in an effort to apologize. “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just…I mean…seriously?” She raised her eyebrows in confusion. 

“You’re seriously afraid to tell me about YOUR past because YOU have baggage?” The giggles overwhelmed her again as she took a drink from her beer. Wrinkling her brow, she swallowed. Nothing quite like warm beer. 

“Did uh…Did you catch the part where I said that I married brothers?” 

Ronan nodded. “Yeah, I was going to follow up on that one, for the record.” He smiled at her as he watched her take another drink from the bottle. “You want another?” he asked her.

“That’d be great,” she smiled. “I think we could both use a little liquid courage tonight.” 

 

She slowly twirled a lock of hair that rested on her shoulder. Tonight had been so simple. He was a stranger..a stranger that didn’t know anything about her, and what had she done? She’d gone and told him….all the crap….everything. Sighing deeply, she laid her hand on the table and groaned.

“You ok?” he asked her as he approached. 

“Yeah,” she groaned, lifting her head slowly. “If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”

Ronan stared at her for a minute. “Ah, what the hell? Why not?” 

“Did I scare you off?” 

“What?” He took a seat, passing one of the two cold beers he held in his hands across the table towards her. 

“Earlier…with all the crap about my past that I told you. I mean…did I scare you off? Do you think I’m some kind of freak now?” She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face.

Now it was his turn to laugh. A sharp burst of air exited his lips before he began to speak. 

“Trust me,” he started. “There’s nothing you can say to me that would scare me off.”

“Really?” She stared at him, her green eyes wide and earnest.

He reached across the table, touching her hand lightly. “Tell you what,” he said, softly, “New rule. Tonight…neither of us have a past. Tonight it’s just about the present.”

She smiled, the sparkle he loved returning to her green eyes. “I like that idea,” she whispered. 

 

“You sure you’re gonna be ok getting up to your room?” he said, keeping his arm around her waist and he led her through the glass doors of the GAC. 

“You’re not coming up to my room,” Kelly said, turning towards him a little. She ran her finger up the front of his shirt and smiled. “You can just forget it.”

“I just want to make sure you’re ok,” he smiled. “You had a few drinks in case you don’t remember.” 

“I remember,” she giggled. “Well, I remember the first three…no four.” 

“Right,” he smiled at her, still a little surprised at how much he’d enjoyed himself this evening. “Ok, well, at least let me walk to you up to your room. It’s my gentlemanly duty.”

“Far be it for me to present…I mean..prevent you from,” her voice trailed off a little as she yawned, “your gentlemanly duties.”

“Alright, let’s get you to your room.” Ronan reached into her purse and pulled out the room key as he walked her into the elevator.

Of course he’d been with women before, but this was different. Never before had he felt so intensely connected to someone so quickly.

As the elevator began to make its slow progress from the lobby, he felt her head lay on his shoulder. Under most circumstances, the close contact would have unnerved him. Affection, especially affection from someone he was in a relationship with was something he avoided at all costs. Affection made things complicated. It led to feelings and commitment and love. He’d promised himself that he’d never love anyone again…not after what happened. But tonight, as he glanced down at her face, he carefully reached up and stroked her hair. Tonight, he reminded himself, he had no past.

~

 

He smiled as he stood outside the glass door breathing in the night air. He felt more alive than he had in months, and he knew the reason for his change was probably asleep upstairs by now. The thought of her made him smile and a small laugh escaped his lips when he recalled their brief conversation as he helped her into her room.

“You’re sure you’re gonna be ok?” He watched her for a moment as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll be fine. Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve had a little bit too much to drink.” She looked up at him and flashed him a smile. “But thank you for being so concerned. It shows character.” 

“I’m so looking for a way to do that,” he said, approaching her slowly. “I had a really nice time tonight. Honest.” Slowly he reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His face lingered closer to hers for a moment.

She pulled back sharply, startling him slightly. 

“There’s no kissing on the first date,” she smiled. “What kind of girl do you think I am?”

He’d left the room on that note, after she’d assured him again that she’d be fine. Hearing the familiar ring of his phone, he grabbed it quickly. 

“If you’ve changed your mind, I won’t think any less of you,” he slyly muttered, his lips already curving into a smile.

“Pretty girl,“ a low voice said.

His stomach dropped. That voice…it had been so long, yet he hadn’t forgotten. He could never, ever forget. 

“You,” he managed, his heart beating so hard that it echoed into his ears.

“Score one for you,” the voice responded. “I’m touched. You haven’t forgotten me…and I certainly haven’t forgotten you. I’m glad to see you’ve decided to move on. Living in the past isn’t healthy. You’ve done well for yourself, Malloy. Quite a looker you’ve got there.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Walker” Ronan spat, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He moved towards the wall of the building, making sure to stay out of sight, but also trying to find some shelter from what could be a potential set up. Given his history, this guy could be planning to do anything. 

“Oh, I think I do,” Walker replied, his voice still low and raspy, yet dripping with satisfaction. “Your pretty little girlfriend had herself a pretty good time tonight and from the looks of it, you did too.”

Ronan couldn’t speak. All he could do was force air into and out of his lungs.

“It’s a shame you’ve managed to snag one with some morals. It would have made things considerably easier if you’d just stayed up there with her tonight. Two birds with one stone so to speak.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Walker?” In his business, he was no stranger to threats, but unfortunately this man wasn’t delivering idle threats—he knew that from personal experience.

A heavy sigh echoed from the receiver. “Try and keep up, Malloy. I’m talking about your little girlfriend. You know…the one in 604…Let’s just say, I hope she likes surprises.” 

He didn’t need to hear anything else. Closing the cell phone, he thrust it back into his pocket and ran back through the glass doors, punching the buttons on the elevator furiously. Spying a door marked stairs, he abandoned the elevator and began a hurried descent to the sixth floor. 

Approaching her door, he knocked furiously. 

“Kelly,” he yelled. “Kelly. Come on. Open the door. Please.” 

Kelly lay on the bed. She’d managed to get her dress half off before the room began to spin again and one of her shoes was stubbornly glued to her foot. And now there was this banging…this incessant banging. She stood slowly, grabbing the desk edge in an attempt to steady herself. 

“Hang on,” she yelled, slowly making her way to the door. “Stop that…it’s so…loud.”

“Ronan?” she said in confusion as she opened the door to see him standing there. “What are you doing here? You just left…didn’t you?” 

Had she been dreaming? She had gone out with him tonight…hadn’t she?

“You need to come with me,” he said, grabbing her wrist insistently and pulling her out the doorway. 

“What?” She shook her head in an effort to shake the fuzzy confusion that seemed to be taking over her brain. “I’m not going with you. This is the first date. I don’t even kiss on the first date. It’s a rule.”

“I’m not talking about dating or rules, Kelly,” Ronan insisted. “Please. Come with me. I need you to come with me. I’ll explain everything. I promise, but for now, just trust me. Please.” He made eye contact with her for a moment. 

“Can you do that? Can you trust me?” He looked at her, hoping his words were able to break through her drunken haze.

“I do trust you,” she said, as she realized that she truly did. “Let me get my shoe,” she said, turning to walk back into the room. 

“Forget the shoe,” he said, pulling her out the door. 

“Would you just get in here?” Ronan pushed her towards the door again, looking over his shoulder, and breathing a sigh of relief as they entered Crimson Lights. The best place to be was in a public place. 

“I only have one shoe,” Kelly muttered, still pretty tipsy. “I’m sure this place has rules for that kind of stuff.”

“You’ll be fine…I promise.” He led her to a table in the far corner of the room. “I’ll get you a cup of coffee. Just stay here.” As he walked away from the table, he kept a steady eye on her as inconspicuously as possible. He didn’t want her asking too many questions, though he feared that ship had already sailed. 

“Here you go.” He placed the steaming cup in front of her and braced himself for the inevitable barrage of questions.

She placed the cup to her lips, taking a sip and wincing as the steaming liquid touched her tongue. Putting the cup on the table, she looked across at him and sighed. 

“What’s with the caveman routine?” 

“The caveman routine?” he asked incredulous. If she only knew what was really going on…how much danger she was truly in, she wouldn’t be making jokes. But she didn’t know, he reminded himself, and if he had anything to say about it—she’d never have to know. 

“Yeah, I mean…I thought tonight was going pretty well and then you show up at my hotel room and drag me out basically kicking and screaming to some coffee shop in the middle of the night. I know I said I like surprises, but this borders on the bizarre.” 

Ronan shook his head. “I know,” he sighed. “I wish I could explain everything to you, but I can’t. Just believe me when I say that I need you to trust me. I can’t tell you exactly why you’re here with me right now, but I can tell you that this is the only place you can be…the only safe place.”

She sat still, her coffee cup hovering halfway between the table and her lips. 

“Ok…now you’re really starting to freak me out. What are you talking about? What do you mean this is the only safe place I can be?” She could feel her throat begin to tighten and her cheeks felt hot.

He could tell she was upset and he couldn’t blame her. She didn’t know him—she didn’t know anything about her and he was asking her to trust him on blind faith. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. That’s all.”

“Safe from what,” she insisted. “What do I need you to keep me safe from? You don’t even know me….You don’t know anything about me…and I don’t know anything about you.”

“That’s the point,” he sighed. “You don’t know anything about me. You have no idea where I’ve been, the things I’ve done, the people I’ve been involved with…..You have no idea what kind of a person I am.”


End file.
